Carly Simon – Jesse

"Jesse" as written by Michael T. Mainieri and Carly Elisabeth Simon....
Oh mother, say a prayer for me
Jesse's back in town, it won't be easy
Don't let him near me
Don't let him touch me
Don't let him please me

Jesse, I won't cut fresh flowers for you
Jesse, I won't make the wine cold for you
Jesse, I won't change the sheets for you
I won't put on cologne
I won't sit by the phone for you

Annie, keep reminding me
That he cut out my heart like a paper doll
Sally, tell me once again
How he set me up just to see me fall

Jesse, quick come here
I won't tell a soul
Not even myself
Jesse, that you've come back to me
My friends will all say "She's gone again"
But how can anyone know what you are to me
That I'm in heaven again because you've come back to me
Oh Jessie!

Jesse, I'll always cut fresh flowers for you
Jesse, I'll always make the wine cold for you
Jesse, I can easily change my mind about you
And put on cologne
And sit by the phone for you

Jesse, let's open the wine
And drink to the heart
Which has a will of its own
My friends, let's comfort them
They're feeling bad
They think I've sunk so low

Jesse, I'll always cut fresh flowers for you
Jesse, I'll always make the wine cold for you
Jesse, I will change the sheets for you
Put on cologne
And I will wait by the phone for you
Oh Jesse


Lyrics submitted by shut

"Jesse" as written by Carly Simon Mike Jr Mainieri

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group

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Jesse song meanings
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9 Comments

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  • +2
    General CommentIt is very sad that we can let ourselves be so weak for someone who has proven to not be worth it. (If someone has a weakening effect on us, and not a strengthening, uplifting effect, they aren't worth it.) I can relate to this song, because i, too, had a lover that i kept accepting back into my life, after repeated break-ups and fights. It's stupid that we do this to ourselves. It's not love, it's dysfunction. If only we would get that through our heads.

    I don't believe that this song necessarily condones weakness or gives us permission to be weak in the way the storyteller is weak. I love how she is calling out to others to help her be strong. Mother, Annie, and Sally are asked to help her, because she knows what she may do, and fears that she'll do it yet again. She needs reminders of how this guy mistreated her, wasn't right for her, to help her keep her focus.

    She ends up letting down her guard yet again for this guy.. and feels sorry for her friends who don't understand her devotion for him. She begins the song with sentiments of "Friends, please help me. He's not good for me." She then transitions to sentiments of "Friends, you don't understand. I love / need him. He is good for me."

    A very well done song. But we can't let songs like this give us an excuse for settling for dysfunctional relationships that just are not sustainable.. We need to learn lessons from it and grow and mature in our understanding of what love is and what it isn't. A song like this is good, but only if it is balanced by songs of strength or empowerment. This song is too much about feeling sorry for yourself and then finding a false strength and false empowerment.

    This is a song about codependency and enabling -- not about true and undying love. GREAT song, and i have always loved it!
    h0neyw1neon October 12, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThis is so freaky my ex-boyfriend cheated on me and we are no longer together and my name is Annie
    Annie3421319on July 26, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThis reminds me of our friend Jesse who recently passed away, he will be dearly missed.

    R.I.P Jesse Sharp -2004-
    hippie-chickon November 10, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Commento and his name is jesse lol forgot to add that
    Annie3421319on July 26, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentNice song. It's got a nice sound.
    Marcus Wulfon November 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThis song hurts me to listen to. I've been there when you're so in love with someone who hurts you and always will. I guess I've played the other role, where I can see how much I affect a certain person and I am affected too, but I know that I hurt them with the things I do. Ugh, this song is so powerful!
    twollamaloveon November 21, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Commentbest song ever... it's about me
    frenzyon September 05, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General CommentMany people have probably experienced this dual personality in love. It's a nice song but sad too, and Carly's smoothly melancholic voice helps keep it from being too dreary.
    LaurelGon August 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    MemorySo I really identify with this song. I actually married my Jesse, but before that there were many breakups and makeups. We were entwined in our madness. That line about "And drink to the heart/which has a will of its own." Ah yes, Jesse. We were married ten years, but those years nearly destroyed me physically and emotionally. Thing is nowadays, many years later, we're good friends who care for each in our old age. I remarried, he did not. He's acknowledged how bad he was as my husband. But we will continue to know each other for the rest of our lives and make sure those ten years were not in vain.
    l.11828142on May 09, 2018   Link

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